Hello. I am looking for advice about relactaction. Here is some info about my situation. My son was born at the end of August. My milk came in just fine. After breastfeeding my nipples were very sore and bleeding. I continued nursing through the end of December. Only one breast was producing well, and I got mastitis. I continued nursing through the mastitis while also pumping to help express more milk, but slowly my breasts started to dry up. Having mastitis made it very painful and difficult to nurse or pump. It has been nearly 3 and 1/2 months since my milk stopped coming in. I began pumping today for 15 minutes every 2 hours and plan to stick to this schedule. My question...after pumping only 2 times I noticed a couple drops of moisture coming out of my breasts while pumping. Is this a sign that relactaction is going to work for me? What else can I do other than pumping and drinking nursing tea to assist in successful relactaction?

April 7th, 2014, 08:43 PM

@llli*mommal

Re: Beginning Relactaction advice

Welcome to the forum!

The moisture you're seeing is a great sign. When a woman weans and milk production is slowing to a stop, the milk that is produced is low in quantity, often quite salty, and high in quality, containing a higher concentration of immune support factors. The fact that you're still seeing this type of milk tells you that your breast is still in production mode. And because supply = demand, if you demand more from your breasts by pumping and/or nursing, you should see your milk return.

It sounds like you're doing pretty much everything you should be doing in order to get your milk back. I would only add that you should use a really great pump, preferably a hospital-grade pump, and that if the baby will nurse, let him nurse as much as possible.

April 7th, 2014, 09:17 PM

@llli*cassiadawn

Re: Beginning Relactaction advice

Thank you. I am using the madela pump in style, double pump. It seems to be doing the trick. Today is the first day I have started pumping and I was hoping that the couple drops of fluid that have expressed meant that my milk will be able to come back.

April 8th, 2014, 12:34 PM

@llli*mommal

Re: Beginning Relactaction advice

The fluid is milk, so instead of thinking about getting your milk back, think about getting your supply up. You already have milk- your only problem is quantity. :)

The PIS is a good machine, but if it doesn't get you where you want to be, think about springing for the hospital-grade machine.